IDENTIFICATION OF STERENE COMPOUNDS PRODUCED DURING THE PROCESSING OFEDIBLE OILS

Samples of maize, rapeseed, soyabean, sunflower, and palm oils, collec ted at different stages in their respective refining processes, have b een analyzed for the presence of dehydrated sterols (sterenes). A tota l of fifteen compounds were detected, Four have been characterized usi ng model systems designed to investigate their formation. Their elemen tal composition, and that of the other eleven sterenes, was determined by high resolution mass spectrometry and structures assigned to a fur ther six compounds. These included the -3,5-, -2,5-, -4,6-,-3,5,22-, a nd -4,6,22- sterenes, Sterenes were not present in crude or alkali neu tralized oils, Bleaching introduced a maximum concentration of 5 mu g g(-1) of total sterenes into the edible oils, Deodorization is the dom inant stage in sterene production resulting in a maximum total concent ration of 163 mu g g(-1). This increased concentration arises due to d ehydration of the sterols and considerable isomerism of the sterenes.